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English Catholic teachers reach tentative deal

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) announced this morning it has reached a tentative deal with the province and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA).
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Joanne Bénard has been named the new director of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. File photo.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) announced this morning it has reached a tentative deal with the province and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA).

The union had planned to withdraw from extracurriculars if a deal wasn't reached before school started.

Last week, one of the province's other major teachers' unions, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), also reached a tentative deal with the province.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has yet to reach a deal, but has more negotiations coming up in early September.

"We appreciate the government's efforts and those of the Catholic school trustees in reaching this tentative agreement," OECTA president Ann Hawkins said in a news release.

"We worked hard to address the concerns of our members and believe this agreement will protect them as well as the quality of education in our schools."

Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals said in a news release that she's pleased with the deal.

"The tentative agreement is the result of hard work and the willingness of all parties to resolve difficult issues prior to the start of the school year," Sandals said.

The details of the agreement remain confidential until ratified by all parties. Negotiations continue with the unions representing the various education workers employed in Catholic schools and school board offices.

“Working within the fiscal restraints of the current bargaining framework was challenging, but surmountable with the concerted efforts of all parties,” said Kathy Burtnik, president of the OCSTA.

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